‘Boardwalk Empire:’ Show Gives Equal Treatment to Characters [VIDEO]
Period shows have a hard lot to fill in the world of modern television, namely, what they should do with characters that historically wouldn't have a huge part to play. But HBO's Boardwalk Empire might be paving the way for that to change.
According to Neil Drumming of Salon Magazine, the show, which is set in the 1920s-Prohibition-era, actually puts black characters front and center, instead of only relegating them to the background.
To prove his point, Drumming referenced a recent episode that featured the character of Dr. Valentin Narcisse, portrayed by Jeffery Wright.
The character was featured in the second scene of the episode, lecturing on the teachings of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, and then dismissing his students so he can sit down with Manhattan gangster Arnold Rothstein-where he then discusses how to dole out uncut heroin valued at several thousands of dollars.
The character is not the only one who is given this treatment on the show. Chalky White (Michael K. Williams) is the other black gangster on the show, and will no doubt eventually have a confrontation of some sort with Wright's character.
This featuring black characters who have prominent roles is a break from the norm for most period shows, where they would only be used for roles depicting their station in life during the time period their show occurs in. But Boardwalk Empire breaks that tradition by letting these characters get caught up in the same filthy and scheming worlds as Nucky Thompson.
That's not to say that the show doesn't still follow some conventions. The same episode that introduces Narcisse also featured a far-less revolutionary spot featuring a female black character in a scene with star Steve Buscemi, who plays Nucky Thompson. He arrives at a Tampa hotel, and silhouetted in the doorway is a female black maid, who says nothing, but does have the camera on her long enough to suggest that there may be more to her than meets the eye.
What role Dr. Valentin Narcisse will play in future episodes is uncertain, but if the character's arc continues, it is guaranteed that the show will continue breaking these molds for seasons to come.
Boardwalk Empire airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. on HBO.
